Automatic safety control



Nov. 14, 1944. A. MILLER 2,362,918

AUTOMATIC SAFETY CONTROL Filed Dec. 22, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l 3 m H6 43 39 I 83 n 4 64 33 i 63 -53 v E Q) I 25' 47 73 1 7a "4''"''' a) v ATTORNEY Nov. 14, 1944. A. MILLER AUTOMATIC SAFETY CONTROL Filed Dec. 22, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FTE v5 50 62 INVENTOR.

ARTHUR MILLER. P0111 A.TaUJ6T ATTORNEY.

Nov. 14, 1944. A. MILLER AUTOMATIC SAFETY CONTROL Filed Dec. 22, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTCR;

ARTHUR MILLER.

Paul A. TOMI T ATTORNEY.

FTG K3 was Patented Nov. 14, 1944 I Arthur Miller, Leavenworth County, Kans. Application December 22, 1939, Serial No. 310,494

4 Claims.

My invention is a device for indicating and recording the velocity for controlling vehicles, air ships, trains, locomotive engines, and particularly to prevent accidents by designating the safe maximum and thus limiting speed, and in other ways warning and assisting in controlling the conveyance even though the operator 'may be inexperienced or careless, and among its objects are:

To inform the operator the safe conditions for.

operating theconveyance without taking his attention or sight from the path of travel.

A simple device forcontrolling the safety of travel of all forms of conveyances.

A device which is constructed for universal applicationto all formsof conveyances.

I accomplish these and other objects by the construction herein described and shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof in which:

Fi 1 is a plan view of my device.

. Fig; 2 is a front elevation and partial section of my device.

.Fig. 3 is a section and elevation of my device.

Fig. 4 is a general view showing one of the applications of my device.

Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram of the audible indicator and warning, control.

Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram of the audible record spring cut out mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a detail of the speed audible indicator commutator.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional detail of the commutator and alternating arm.

Fig. 9 is a detail of the record feed mechanism I and audible control.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional elevation detail of the feed mechanism and audible control.

Figs. 11 and 12 are details of a modification showing a direct turbine record drive.

Figs. 13 and 14 are modified details of the winding mechanism.

The matter contained in this specification and shown in the drawings is a continuation in part of the matter filed with my application February 4, 1938, having Serial Number 188,703, titledAutomatic safety control and having the Patent Number 2, 8, of which a part of this application is a division.

While I have herein shown modifications of some of theparts of my device, it will be apparent after studying the disclosure herein th'at numerous changes and other modifications may be made in the detailed construction to suit difierent con-- ditlons of operation, and also to accomplish the equivalent results and functions of the parts.

The manner of driving the running parts for instance may vary such as employing a turbine operated by the exhaust from the engine, a connection to the operating mechanism of the conveyance or a drive operated by an electric motor.

In the specification to follow, one of the constructions is described in detail and its simplified form so that it may be more easily understood.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings andin the specification to follow.

Accidents are usually the result of incompetence or carelessness of the operator of conveyances. I The loss of life and damage resulting This is less confusing in effecting the desired resuit than to provide only a visible speed indicator requiring the operator to take his eye ofi the road to see the speed being traveled. My device gives the speed and a warning about the speed audibly or a. spoken statement of the speed and that it may be too fast or is approaching a dangerous point for the road condition which may be curved or vision poor ahead.

The many. advantages of my device will be seen after a better understanding of its construction and uses. The modification of many of its parts will atpnce be obvious to persons skilled in mechanical and electrical mechanisms and I do not wish to be limited to the specific construction herein described. For instance, the arrangement of the parts as well as their number and size and type may, in many instances, be altered without diminishing the usefulness of purposes for which they are intended.

This specification for the purpose of clarity and that my invention may be better understood is limited in its description and generally is confined to one construction rather than the numerous equivalent constructions which may produce a desired function.

My device preferably comprises a housing into which many of the parts are assembled.- The housing is provided with a removable top 2 and such other openings, doors, etc. as may be desirable in caring for or replacing the parts and for inspection.

The mechanism may be operated or driven by the flexible shaft 3 such as usually connectsto automobile speedometers or may in part be operated by an exhaust turbine 4 as shown in the modification shown in Figs. 11 and 12 as may be later disclosed.

The flexible shaft 3 engages the spline or square portion 5 of the shaft 8 on which the movable clutch member 1 is slidably mounted. The movable clutch member I engages the clutch member 8 which revolves about the round portion 9 of the shaft 6, the clutch member 8 is provided with the pinion it! which engages the gear ll secured to the pinion i2 engaging the spring housing gear 53 which is secured to the spring housing 94 and spring lo, the other end of which is secured to and drives the shaft I6 operating the record drum 57 by means of the stop spring shaft it through the torsion spring 39 which enga es the drum shaft to which is secured the record drum El and stop 2!. The torsion spring is sufilciently greater in torsional strength than the spring W to only move after said spring i5 is completely wound up, thereby causing said spring shaft, upon which is mounted the conductor 22 and insulated segment 23. Thus, when the spring i5 is completely wound up further movement will cause the shaft it to revolve overcoming the spring 89 thereby causing the brush 24 to engage the insulated segment 23 breaking the circuit and de-energizing the magnet 25 and releasing the lever 26 and its core M which normally engages the core 23 of said magnet 25. The lever 28 is forced by the spring 29 to release the movable clutch member 3 from the clutch member a which it normally engages while winding the spring 115 to operate the audible record Bil carried by the record drum ii. The lessening of the torsion by the operation of said record to causes the brush 24 to contact the conductor 22 and the clutch member l to engage the clutch member 8 thereby again winding up the spring 5 5.

In Fig. i of the drawings, I have shown a modiiication in which a turbine a operated by the exhaust 0f the engine 38 drives the gear i3 and winds the spring l 5 through a flexible shaft 32 driven by said turbine when it has suflicient torque to do so, the turbine not revolving when the spring 8 E5 is wound Ill The shaft ii which revolves continuously while the conveyance 33 is in motion is connected to and revolves the governor 34 which by centrifugal force causes movement of its balls 35 secured to the arms'3il and links 31 to move the shaft 38, to which said links are attached, axially thereby swinging the sound tube or horn 39. The grooves or circular rack 40 on said shaft 38 engage the segmental rack 4| secured to said horn.

The horn and sound tube 39 are secured to the sound reproducer 32 having a needle 43 which travels in the grooves of the record 30 causing words of warning to be spoken as of the human voice and the speed of the vehicle to be audibly stated in much the same manner as is customary with phonographs except that the record of my device has parallel grooves and not the usual spiral grooves Of the phonograph record. My record 30 is provided with an axial blank portion 44 not touched by the needle 43 thus permitting the needle to travel axially while the record is at rest or while in motion to any of the sound producing grooves on the record which depend entirely on the speed of the conveyance and the rate of revolution of the governor 36.

I have shown a drum type of audible record but a disc record, by slight modifications, may be used and in such a modification a radial blank space may be provided and likewise circular grooves may serve the purpos of s n n h short statements Of speed or warning which cor respond to each groove. In either case, the blank space into which the grooves begin and terminate is so positioned as to register with the stop 2| when the record is at rest. A record having no blank portion could be used but the changing of the audible short sentences would not be complete.

The stop and starting mechanism for the record is preferably controlled by the speed of the conveyance periodically, the frequency of the periods depending on the frequency ofa change in speed. I have, however, provided a push button 45 on the steering wheel or otherwise convenient to the operator which also may at any time operate the audible record.

The operation of the record may be followed by referring to the wiring diagram, shown in Fig. 5 as well as in the several views showing the parts.

Mounted on the shaft 8 to which the horn and segmental rack are secured is the arm ll having at its free end the double brushes it and 4d, engaging the upper commutator segments 50 and lower commutator segments 5i. All of the upper segments 5d are connected by the con ductor 52 and all of the lower segments 58 are also connected to each other by the conductor 53. The conductor 52 connects the upper segments to the annularly disposed contacts 551 each of which alternates with the annularly disposed contacts 55 connected to the lower segments 56 by the conductor 53. The connections by the conductors 52 and 53 are made to the electrically separated contacts 54 and E25 by the brushes 55 and bl. Current is supplied to one group or the other alternate group of contacts by the single brush 58 from the source of electrical energy which may be a battery.

The contacts 5 3 and 55 are intermittently operated by the pawl 59 engaging the teeth 6d of the wheel ti on which said contacts so and 55 are mounted, each tooth registering with a contact thus alternately supplying energy to the upper segments and lower segments of the commutator $2.

Thepawl 59 is secured to and operated by the crank pin 63 secured to the record drum shaft 20 and revolves said wheel one tooth each revolution of the record and drum" shaft.

The arm 41 having the double brushes contacting the commutator segments carries the conductor 64 which energizes the magnet 25' which operates the stop pawl 66 which engages the stop 2| so that when either of the double brushes engages one of the segments of the commutator, the pawl 66 is withdrawn from said stop causing the record to turn one revolution which in doing so moves the wheel 6i and thus disconnects the source of supply to said magnet while the record is making its revolution and permitting the spring 29' to return the stop pawl 66 to stop the record upon completing its single revolution.

It may be seen, therefore, that the arm 41 must move to the next commutator segment in either ment from the record.

- u rotor m and a; blades I84'as mar/a direction before the record is again released and that this movement of said arm which is operated by the governor and the speed of the conveyance is only accomplished by a change of speed either faster or slower than caused the record to make its last revolution.

1 have, however, provided the push button 45 which may be contacted to release the stop pawl 88 at any time and thus render an audible state By holding the button down, the speed and other audible remarks from the record may be heard regardless of the speed or change of speed of the conveyance,

The crank pin 83, in addition to operating the pawl 58 when moving in the opposite direction or on its return stroke, moves the perforator 68 which is slidably carried in the arms 89 and secured to and operated by the lever H which engages the teeth 12 of the yielding pawl 13 which is connected to and operated by the crank pin 83.

The wheel 6|; in addition to carrying the contacts 54 and 55, is directly connected to the shaft on which is mounted the resilient feed roll 15 which engages the record paper 16 between it and the resilient idle roll 11 rotatably mounted on the shaft 1.8. Both shafts 14 and 18 are mounted to revolve in the brackets 19 and 80 secured to the housing I.

The record paper is fed through the guides 8| of the perforator from the record paper roll 82 detachably supported and revolvable on the detachable stud 83 which is removable from the T slot 84 for renewing the record roll when desired.

The perforator 68 is secured to the longitudinally slidable tie rod 85 which is connected to and moved by the sound arm and horn 39 which is swung by the governor 34 which is effected by the speed of the conveyance so that the perforator pierces the paper record each revolution of the audible record, thereby recording permanently the speed the conveyance has traveled.

The paper record may be ruled and the lines marked to show the miles per hour speed of the conveyance. I

The speed governor 34 may be adjusted to accurately register the speed of the conveyance as the centrifugal force acting on the governor balls may be resisted to. any degree by the torsion spring I I4 or the counter weight I I5, mounted on the shaft 46.

The sound arm 39 is provided with a bracket II6 securing it to the visible speed indicator II1 on which are the numerals II8 designating the speed at which the conveyance is traveling in much the same manner as the speedometer commonly used in automobiles.

The reading of the numerals is facilitated by providing the opening H9 in the front of the housing I. The miles traveled both for the trip and total mileage traveled by the conveyance may also in like manner be shown as desired by connecting the flexible shaft 3 to the usual revolution counters employed for such purposes.

In Figures 11 and 12, I have shown the record drum I1 mounted on its shaft 20 which also is secured to the rotor I33 of the turbine 4 operated by exhaust from the engine 3|. When the turbine turns the record 30 and drum I1, the exhaust gases flow straight through as shown by the arrow, while when the record is stopped by the pawl 66 engaging the stop 2I as hereinbefore described, the gases will flow around the staa repetition ofby the broken lineIlI. 1 I v Referring to Figures 13 and 14, I have shown a modification of the record spring winding mechanism in which the drum shaft 28' is directly secured to the spring I5, and is extended beyond the spring to provide the threads I38 which engage the nut I31, which is slidably mounted on the studs I38 and I38 which are secu'red to the spring housing I40 and revolves with it when the spring I5, which is secured at its outer end to said spring housing is being wound by means of the gear I3 which is secured to said housing.

When the spring is being wound and the drum shaft 20' and its threads I36 are stationary, the nut is revolved on the threads and slides outwardly toward the ends HI and I42 of said studs I38 and I39 until said nut I31 contacts the arm I48 of the bifurcated lever I44 which is secured to the shaft I45 at one end of said shaft to which is secured the clutch operating levers I46 and I41 at the other end of said shaft which move the movable clutch member 1' out of engagement with the clutch member 8 which is secured to and revolves the gears meshing with the spring winding gear I3 and causing the gear I3 to stop winding the spring I5.

When the record 30 and its drum shaft 20 are released to revolve the thread revolves causing the nut, which is stationary after having wound the spring I5, to slide on said studs I38 and I 38 away from their ends MI and I42 until contacting the arm I48 which is secured to and moves the lever I44 and the clutch operating lever I48 and I41, secured to said lever by means of the shaft I45, causing the clutch members 1' and 8' tc again engage and to again wind up the spring The winding of the spring, it will be seen, may be repeated by the mechanism above described.

each time the nut I31 contacts the arm I48,

secured to the bifurcated lever I44.

The lever I44 is thrown off center by means of the spring I49 which causes the movable clutch member 1 to completely engage the clutch member 8' or to be completely disengaged from said member when thrown by said spring I49 and the lever I44, depending on which of its arms I43 or I48 are contacted by said nut I31.

The pawl I58 holds the gear I3 from revolving after the spring I5 has been wound. And the pawl 66 stops and releases the record and drum shaft which revolves it by means of the spring I5 as herein described.

The flexible shaft 3 may be connected directly to the spline shaft 5 or through gears I5I as shown in Figures 13 and 14.

While I have herein described in detail the construction and operation of my-device, it may be obvious after a study of this description, to alter and add to the parts to suit them to the many uses to which my invention may be suited..

said sound transmitting means in a position with respect to said record which is a function 01' the speed of the conveyance, electrical means for releasing said record and permitting it to make one revolution, a pair of brushes secured to and movable with said transmitting means, two sets of commutator segments, each set being arranged to be contacted by a corresponding one of said brushes, said commutator segments being alternately disposed so that the brushes alternately contact their commutator segments on a sufiicient increase or decrease in speed of the conveyance, a circuit including said electrical releasing means and a source of electric current, contact means to alternately connect one or the other of said sets of commutator segments and the corresponding brush in said circuit, and means operated on each rotation of said record for operating said contact means to disconnect one set of commutator segments and its brush from said circuit and connect the other set of commutator segments and the corresponding brush in said circuit, whereby the record will be released and make one revolution each time the speed changes a predetermined amount.

2. In a conveyance announcer, a housing, a record of the human voice revolvable in said housing, driving means for revolving said record, sound transmitting means, means responsive to the speed of the conveyance for positioning the said sound transmitting means in a position with respect to said record which is a function of the speed of the conveyance, electrical means for releasing said record and permitting it to make one revolution, a pair of brushes secured to and movable with said transmitting means, two sets of commutator segments, each set being arranged to be contacted by a corresponding one of said brushes, said commutator segments being alternately disposed so that the brushes alternately contact their commutator segments on a sufiicient increase or decrease in speed of the conveyance, a circuit including said electrical releasing means and a source of electric current, contact means to alternately connect one or the other of said sets of commutator segments and the corresponding brush in said circuit, and means operated on each rotation of said record for operating said contact means to disconnect one set of commutator segments and its brush from said circuit and connect the other set of commutator segments and the corresponding brush in said circuit, whereby the record will be released and make one revolution each time the speed changes a predetermined amount, and

a manually operated switch releasing said-recordto move independently of the contacts made with said segments.

3. In a conveyance announcer, a housing, a record of the human voice revolvable in said housing, driving means for revolving said record, sound transmitting means, means responsive to the speed of the conveyance for positioning the said sound transmitting means in a position with respect to said record which is a function of the speed of the conveyance, electrical means for releasing said record and permitting it to make one revolution, a pair of brushes secured to and movable with said transmittingmeans, two sets of commutator segments, each set being arranged to be contacted by a corresponding one of said brushes, said commutator segments being alternately disposed so that the brushes alternately contact their commutator segments on a sumcient increase or decrease in speed of the conveyance, a circuit including said electrical releasing means and a source of electric current, contact means to alternately connect one or the other of said sets of commutator segments and the corresponding brush in said circuit, and means operated on each rotation of said record for operating said contact means to disconnect one set of commutator segments and its brush from said circuit and connect the other set of commutator segments and the corresponding brush in said circuit,'whereby the record will be released and make one revolution each time the speed changes a predetermined amount, said segments disposed in a pair of rows swept by said brushes.

4. In a conveyance speed announcer having a record of the human voice to announce the speed of the conveyance, and means rotating said record and means limiting said record to one revolution, electrical releasing means controlled by the speed of the conveyance permitting said record to revolve to announce the speed of the conveyance, means operatively connected to and affected by the movement of said record to break the circuit of said releasing means, a second circuit and means connecting said second circuit operatively to and moved with said record, said second circuit releasing said record only when a change in speed of said vehicle has moved said means electrically first releasing said record, said record releasing means comprising contacts moved by said record rotating means alternately opening said first circuit after releasing said record and closing said second circuit to release said record when the speed of said conveyance has changed to faster or slower.

ARTHUR MILLER. 

